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Boy has this job been in the works for a couple of years! I've had these mid stiffeners for about 2+ years now, and have just gotten around to installing them. I used 2x3 3/16ths box steel cut to make gussets to tie in the mid stiffeners and the box steel rockers I welded in last year in the summer. It feels good to be nearing completion of my little adventure wagon, but I've got a quite a few more projects to go until it's (basically) done. I used Rustoleum oil based enamel primer and black gloss after prepping the finished fab work. Now I'm have to finish my flush, retorfit the oem t case skid to the rusty's cross member before it gets too cold. I also plan on flushing the gear box. It's been 3 years since I last did it, however what came out then was most certainly the original goo... ha ha
Have you driven it since the install? I'm curious about the difference in the ride, and handling. Looks nice and solid.
I drove it about 100 miles round trip to a scout camp out with my boy. It drove great. Very firm. I probably would have felt a more significant difference had I done the sliders at the same time. Repairs and build as it is it took a while to swing back around to getting it done.
My buddy gave me some euro side markers a few weeks back. I hadn't had a chance to get them on as I wanted to pick up some amber LED's for the new ones. Free stuff rocks! On a side note, it appears my new thermostat crapped the bed. It got pretty cold this weekend and couldn't get the jeep anywhere near optimum running temperature. I tried blocking the mechanical side of the radiator with some improvement,but not much. So come Payday I'll be getting a new thermo and another at least gallon of coolant. :/
I couple of weeks ago I notice the Jeep was running rough at start up and I noticed A couple of injectors leaking. Not having the money for new, I opted to order a rebuild kit for ev1's from K suspension. The rebuild was pretty easy, and I pulled the injectors from my spare low mileage engine and cleaned them up, replaced the micro screens in them, O rings, and ran carb cleaner through them energized. I replaced them today, and noticed an immediate improvement in throttle response, and smoother idle. Issue 2 was the thermostat. I've had a hell of a time getting it to seal. Come to find out the housing is cracked! I bought one from Advance, surprisingly very reasonable at 12 bucks with gasket. No thermostat leaks, no injector leaks, better Idle and throttle response. Today was a good day.
Did some wheeling at Rausch Creek the other weekend, which rekindled my build, and motivated me to get things rolling again. It's been really cold here in the mid atlantic so I've not been super excited about freezing to death in the garage for Jeep work.
First two items finished was a way to support the sway bar and links. I wasn't able to pull the sway bar the day we went wheeling, which made for an awkward day somewhat. It was still a blast, but this needed addressed. The other item was reinforcing the clutch pedal. I've been nervous seeing these break on people, so decided to be proactive and really beef it up.
Update on exhaust. Finally got it tucked the way I want it. Marked it, welded it up and hung it for painting. Should be dry enough to slap on in the morning.
Came down to have to build BPE's for the front shocks. The artech brackets interfered with the bar pin bolts is such a way that it made for a pain the but to get the shocks off. Easy fix with a little scrap and some measurements. (y)
I recently picked up this VINTAGE Sky Jacker Rock crusher kit from a guy on FB classifieds for 150 bucks. Only to find out the arms are trash, and the lowers being longer than typical arms, I began building a set. The uppers are oem sizish, and I recently bought core uppers that will work. I decided to use square tube for the lowers and poly bushings that I got used from a fabrication site I'm on. SO the new lowers will set me back about 100 bucks no including my labor to build them.
10-16-2017, 04:43 PM
